Truck Series: Riggs sweeps Indianapolis and Heim secures championship

Written by Bailey Defoor

Credit: Justin Casterline / Getty Images

Layne Riggs dominates in Indianapolis, sweeping every stage and leading over 150 laps. Corey Heim also finished in fourth and secured the regular season championship.

As it unfolded

Heim came back from the 27-day break by securing the pole with Ty Majeski to start alongside him.

Majeski fell back to third, allowing Chandler Smith to get up to second at the start.

Rajah Caruth was making moves in the top 10 after starting down in 19th.

13 laps in, Heim has hit 1,000 laps led this season so far as he caught up to back markers.

Riggs was one of the biggest movers, being up 10 places since the start, as he caught up to Smith on Lap 15 and took second place.

On Lap 22, Riggs switched up on Heim and took the lead. 

Smith fell back more as Majeski got past him in Turn 4 on Lap 26.

Heim fell back from Riggs, into the clutches of Majeski. Majeski started challenging for second, but got a little loose, opening the door for Heim to keep the position. The two stayed side by side, but Majeski got through on Lap 37.

Chandler Smith and Grant Enfinger got passed Heim for third and fourth on Laps 45 and 49, respectively.

Riggs wins the stage with a gap of over 3 seconds to Majeski in second.

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 34 - Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports)

2. No. 98 - Ty Majeski (ThorSport Racing)

3. No. 38 - Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports)

4. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger (CR7 Motorsports)

5. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage)

6. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) 

7. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth (Spire Motorsports)

8. No. 7 - Corey Day (Spire Motorsports)

9. No. 99 - Ben Rhodes (ThorSport Racing) 

10. No. 15 - Tanner Gray (TRICON Garage)

The drivers pit under the stage caution, and Riggs comes off pit road first. Caruth and Tyler Ankrum made up the most places on pit road as Heim fell down to tenth.

Chastain left his stall with a loose left front tyre and came to a stop before it fell off. 

Alan Waller also makes a driver change with Josh Reaume getting in the truck.

Riggs and Majeski lead the way on Lap 71, and Riggs clears for the lead immediately. Heim made up four places in the opening laps.

Smith surged passed Caruth and Ankrum for third on Lap 72.

Fun fact: Riggs has never lost a race when leading at least 50 laps. As of Lap 90, Riggs has led just under 70 laps.

On Lap 100, our first incident caution comes out when the No. 22 of Reaume got into the wall at Turn 3. 

About 10 trucks pit under the caution, but the top 10 were as they were.

Riggs takes the outside on the restart, and Majeski opted to go behind Riggs while Smith lined up on the front row for the restart on Lap 106. 

The lead went three wide with Riggs barely getting ahead while Smith stayed on the inside. Heim, who started behind Majeski, was now right on Majeski’s bumper and joining the battle for the lead.

Stewart Friesen also joins the party on lap 110. Friesen got passed Heim and Majeski before Heim also got by Majeski. Friesen storms passed Smith off of Turn 4 on Lap 113 and chases down Riggs. 

Friesen got close but was no match for Riggs.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 34 - Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports)

2. No. 52 - Stewart Friesen (Halmar Friesen Racing)

3. No. 99 - Ben Rhodes (ThorSport Racing) 

4. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger (CR7 Motorsports)

5. No. 38 - Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports)

6. No. 45 - Kaden Honeycutt (Niece Motorsports)

7. No. 98 - Ty Majeski (ThorSport Racing)

8. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage)

9. No. 66 - Luke Fenhaus (ThorSport Racing)

10. No. 81 - Connor Mosack (McAnally Hilgemann Racing)

Another cycle of pit stops, and Riggs comes out first. Friesen, who pitted under the incident caution, assumes the lead with Grant Enfinger. Heim made up three places on pit road.

Friesen and Enfinger lead the way on Lap 130, and Friesen clears the lead. Heim jumps up to third, and Riggs struggles to make the bottom work. 

Riggs eventually gets in front of Heim and Ben Rhodes on Lap 143, moving up to second. Riggs retakes the lead from Friesen off Turn 4 on Lap 146.

On Lap 160, Corey Day began chasing down Heim in a battle of the Coreys for third place. Day gets pretty close at times, but isn’t able to clear Heim until Lap 165.

With 20 laps to go, Day got close to Friesen, and on Lap 189, Day moved up to second place. 

Day could not catch up to Layne Riggs, who sweeps both stages before taking the checkered flag in Indianapolis!

Corey Heim also clinches the regular season championship with his fourth-place finish!

Provisional Results

1. No. 34 - Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports) [FL]

2. No. 7 - Corey Day (Spire Motorsports) 

3. No. 52 - Stewart Friesen (Halmar Friesen Racing)

4. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage) 

5. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger (CR7 Motorsports)

6. No. 98 - Ty Majeski (ThorSport Racing)

7. No. 38 - Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports)

8. No. 19 - Daniel Hemric (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) 

9. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) 

10. No. 44 - Ross Chastain (Niece Motorsports) 

11. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth (Spire Motorsports)

12. No. 99 - Ben Rhodes (ThorSport Racing) 

13. No. 66 - Luke Fenhaus (ThorSport Racing)

14. No. 15 - Tanner Gray (TRICON Garage)

15. No. 45 - Kaden Honeycutt (Niece Motorsports) +1 lap

16. No. 13 - Jake Garcia (ThorSport Racing) +1 lap

17. No. 07 - Brenden Queen (Spire Motorsports) +1 lap

18. No. 81 - Connor Mosack (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) +1 lap

19. No. 88 - Matt Crafton (ThorSport Racing) +1 lap

20. No. 26 - Dawson Sutton (Rackley W.A.R.) +1 lap

21. No. 91 - Jack Wood (McAnally Hilgemann Racing)

22. No. 42 - Matt Mills (Niece Motorsports) +2 laps

23. No. 77 - Andrés Pérez de Lara (Spire Motorsports) +2 laps

24. No. 1 - Brent Crews (TRICON Garage) +2 laps

25. No. 76 - Spencer Boyd (Freedom Racing Enterprises) +2 laps

26. No. 17 - Giovanni Ruggiero (TRICON Garage) +2 laps

27. No. 5 -  Toni Breidinger (TRICON Garage) +2 laps 

28. No. 33 - Frankie Muniz (Reaume Brothers Racing) +3 laps

29. No. 35 - Greg Van Alst (Greg Van Alst Motorsports) +6 laps

30. No. 20 - Jordan Anderson (Young's Motorsports) +6 laps

31. No. 02 - Jayson Alexander (Young's Motorsports) +7 laps

32. No. 6 - Norm Benning (Norm Benning  Racing) [DNF]

33. No. 22 - Alan Waller/Josh Reaume (Reaume Brothers Racing) [DNF] 

34. No. 74 - Boston Oliver (Mike Harmon Racing) [DNF]

35. No. 2 - Cody Dennison (Reaume Brothers Racing) [DNF]

The Craftsman Truck Series heads to Watkins Glen on Friday, August 8, at 16:00 EST (21:00 BST). Be there or be square.